Testing Tech in the Mountains Before Outdoor Gear Went Gonzo: Time Machine (April 1925)

Oct 1, 2009

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When new technology is designed correctly, it can be very liberating for its users. Car engines give drivers speed and range, broadcast television individualizes the consumption of moving pictures, and cellphones offer 24/7 connectivity for chatters on the go. In 1925, a writer for Popular Mechanics decided to test the freedom provided by a radio. Accompanying a team of geological surveyors, he set off to the Canadian Rockies to determine its range.

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"It was in the beautiful Castleguard valley, 8000 ft. above sea level and on the verge of the great Columbia ice field that we first rested from the grind of trail work," PM wrote in the April issue. After repairing the damage done the machine by a ride on the back of a pack mule, the explorers put the radio to the test. "A jiggering of dials and switches seemed to reveal restless stirrings of the ether, but not all our cunning could resolve it into anything more than clangs."

Retooling the wiring solved the problem, and from a radio station in Oklahoma City, the team heard "a plaintive ballad in a cracked soprano." The group had its choice of entertainment, with the radio picking up stations in Calgary, Pittsburgh and even Los Angeles. "For the next two months, the world came to visit us every night by way of the little black box which we had come so near to throwing into complete discard."

Today's outdoor enthusiasts are even more demanding on their gadgets, expecting them to perform from city to town without missing a single beat. Check back later this week for complete coverage on the latest gear for explorers at the Outdoor Retailer Show. —Emily Masamitsu

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